Little Brother
by CarpeDiem75
Summary: Postep fic to Burn Out. More upbeat than what will probably happen. Sara sees a new side of Grissom. GSR. Please review.


A/N: The characters are borrowed. Post-ep fic to Burn Out.

Little Brother

Sara woke to the midday sun splaying through the small bedroom windows of her apartment. She was propped against a multitude of pillows with a book open on her chest. Her body position was not conducive to sleeping, but reflected her failed attempt to stave off rest in hope Grissom would call. Tossing the book aside, Sara turned to examine the bedside clock. It was 12:18pm, a full six hours since she left the lab and roughly four since she succumbed to sleep. Rubbing the soreness from her neck, Sara reached for her cell phone. She knew she hadn't missed any calls, but she couldn't help but check to be sure. A post-work phone call had become a customary exchange between Grissom and Sara since they began seeing each other six months ago. Customary didn't mean automatic, so Sara wasn't overly concerned. Yet. She only saw him briefly during their shift, but it was obvious Grissom was in the unfortunate grip of one of his migraines. He probably went straight home, Sara thought to herself. Before she could dial his number, her phone rang. It was Grissom.

"Hey."

"Hi sweetheart."

"How is your head?"

"Better," he replied. "I'm sorry I didn't call earlier. I fell asleep on Brass' couch at PD."

"No problem. I was out of gas myself after shift. It was lights out as soon as my head hit the pillow." Sara laughed silently at the white lie. He didn't need to know she had waited by the phone like a lovesick teenager.

"I have something to do today. Care to join me?" He asked.

"Sure, what is it?"

"I'll explain later. I need to go home to shower and change clothes. I'll pick you up in an hour. Dress casual." He hung up before she could ask any questions.

Sara readied herself for Grissom's arrival intrigued by the mystery of the day. She was surprised he sounded so normal on the phone. The case they wrapped earlier in the morning involved two children. One was found dead. All of her CSI teammates, Grissom included, struggled to keep their emotions in check when working child-related cases. The doorbell rang before she could give it additional thought.

"Hi beautiful," Grissom said with a smile. He grabbed her by the waist, pulling her into his body and laid a soft, sweet kiss on her welcoming lips.

"Hmm. What was that for?"

"I missed you," he stated matter-of-factly. "Ready to go?"

Before replying, she took in the sight of him. He was a man she would never describe as vain, yet he always managed to select clothes that enhanced the deep blue of his eyes. "I'm ready," she finally said. "Where to?"

"You'll see."

Sara's sidelong glances didn't go unnoticed by the driver. "Why all the looks in my direction?" Grissom questioned.

"I am just surprised at your mood. I frankly expected you to still be feeling the affects of the case."

A hint of sadness washed over his face. It was a brief flicker of emotion that might have gone unnoticed by anyone but Sara. She knew him too well. Removing one hand from the steering wheel, he reached for one of hers, intertwining their fingers and squeezing them gently. He said nothing.

The car meandered through the streets of a dilapidated Vegas neighborhood. Sara's curiosity was piqued. Grissom stopped the car in front of a small, white house. Rotten fascia and trim lined the exterior. A broken, black shutter hung precariously off the side of one of the front windows. Its nails appeared ready to give at a moment's notice. The neatly maintained lawn and flowering bushes contradicted the sad state of the home's structure.

"Wait here," Grissom demanded. He exited the car and walked toward the front door. It opened before he had an opportunity to knock. Grissom was greeted by a young boy Sara guessed to be about eight years old. He smiled up at Grissom and the two headed back to the car. The youngster's brown curls reminded Sara of a young Grissom or, at least, how she imagined a young Grissom. Opening the rear door of the Denali, the boy hopped into the backseat. Grissom circled the truck and took his place behind the steering wheel.

"Sara, meet my little brother Robert. Robert, this is my girlfriend Sara."

Her gasp made him chuckle, though he was unsure whether her shock was because of his reference to the child as his brother or her as his girlfriend.

Smiling, Grissom explained, "I began volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters about a year ago. I am Robert's Big Brother."

It was Sara's turn to chuckle. For a short moment, she thought she had become privy to a well-kept Grissom family secret. Instead, she gathered further evidence for what she already knew to be true. Beneath Grissom's stoic exterior beat a kind heart.

A small voice spoke from the rear of the vehicle. "Where to Dr. Gil?"

"Well, its such a beautiful day, I thought we would go to the zoo. Does that sound like fun?"

"Yes!" Robert said excitedly. Grissom looked toward Sara who gave a quick nod of approval.

The drive to the zoo was full of animated chatter between Grissom and Robert. The boy told a story of how he rescued a spider and its web from his mother's broom. "She wanted to kill it Dr. Gil, but I stopped her."

Grissom grinned proudly. "Robert, you probably saved the life of an Achaearanea tepidariorum."

Robert's eyes widened at the sophisticated name. It was obvious he felt like a hero. Sara swallowed a laugh. Although she wasn't completely sure, she figured Grissom had just cited the genus and species name of a common house spider.

They had been at the zoo for more than an hour. The pleasant weather encouraged the animals to vacate their hiding places and bask in the sunlight. Grissom played the role of zoologist, answering all of Robert's questions with the preciseness of a professional. Sara watched the two interact in wonderment. The young boy clearly adored "Dr. Gil" and Grissom's demeanor showed great attachment to the boy. It was a side of Grissom she had never seen. Careful not to ignore Sara, Grissom frequently smiled in her direction and held her hand for most of the afternoon occasionally rubbing his thumb against the back of her palm. He only broke contact to point out something interesting she or Robert may not have noticed.

The threesome exited the zoo all smiles. Robert had a stuffed lion tucked tightly under his arm. Given the amount of time they lingered at the lion's den, Sara deducted it was Robert's favorite animal. She purchased the stuffed animal from the gift shop while the two boys were in the Reptile House. Her gesture warmed Grissom's heart.

Expecting Grissom to point the car in the direction of Robert's house, Sara was surprised he turned the car toward the strip.

Anticipating her question, Grissom said, "We have a tradition. Our day always ends with a roller coaster ride at New York, New York.

Sara smiled. The kid loved bugs, animals and roller coasters. No doubt, he was a young Grissom.

Hours later, Grissom and Sara were entangled on his living room couch. Both had the night off and were enjoying the relaxing evening together.

"Thank you for sharing the day with me," Sara said, breaking their silence.

"Thank you for coming. I had a great time."

"Me too. Why did you decide to get involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters?"

Grissom sighed. "I decided I needed to take my own advice. Several years ago, I recommended you find a diversion. I had a few of my own, but sometimes the roller coasters and roach races weren't enough. Warrick mentioned the organization once and I thought it might be a good outlet. Both Warrick and Nick have Little Brothers."

Sara turned over to look at him. Her chin instead of the back of her head now rested on his chest. He continued, "Last night when we had concrete proof Fisher had killed that boy, I was overwhelmed by anger. I was sitting less than two feet from the man and it took all I had not to reach over and strangle him. The real reason I didn't call you last night was because I didn't want you to hear the rage in my voice. I thought it might scare you."

Sara nodded with understanding.

"This morning when I woke up on Brass' couch, I thought about Robert. Hanging out with him is very cathartic. Are you upset I never mentioned him before?"

"No," she said. "Everyday with you is like Christmas, always a different surprise."

He smiled at the compliment. The two resumed their silence. Grissom absently ran his fingers through her hair. Reliving the day in her mind, Sara recalled a comment she had yet to acknowledge.

She lifted her head to catch his gaze. "So if I am your girlfriend, does that make you my boyfriend?"

Grissom laughed. "If you'll have me."


End file.
